Anime (Japanese Animation) (1) Current status of anime in the US Market In recent years, the US market for anime (Japanese Animation) has changed dramatically. It was back in 1961 when the Astro Boy TV series was introduced to American audiences, the first anime to be exported out of Japan. In the 1980s, growth of the home video market and cable TV accessibility has made shows like Starblazers and Sailor Moon popular, creating the foundation for the fan base in the US. In 1999 Pokémon invaded the US, penetrating the mass market like no other anime had done before. Also in the late 90s, the prevalence of DVD players contributed to the increase in anime sales, as a DVD’s subtitle feature and ability to playback multiple languages appealed to those hardcore fans who wanted to enjoy both the original Japanese audio as well as English dubbed versions. In 2003, Spirited Away won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and anime DVD sales around that time reached its peak. [Table 3-1] Estimated market size of anime in the US Source: Nielsen Video Scan, NPD, and various industry and corporate reports. Edited by Wowmax Media!
(2) Anime feature films in the US box office Between 1980 and 2008, many anime feature films were released theatrically. However, with the exceptions of Pokémon and Yugioh, which were released nationally by major distributors, most of the anime films were distributed on a much smaller scale through art house theaters. For these hardcore fan oriented films, theatrical release is usually considered by their distributors as part of the promotion for the DVD release. [Table 3-2] Anime released theatrically in the US Source: BoxOfficemojo.com. Edited by Wowmax Media!
(3) Current status of anime in the US home video market Established franchises, like Dragonball Z, Final Fantasy, Pokemon, and films by Hayao Miyazaki are doing very well in DVD sales. Final Fantasy VII - Advent Children and Howls’ Moving Castle both sold over 400 thousand units, very impressive figures for anime. The total overall gross sales in 2006 were 5% less
than it had been in 2005. [Table 3-3] 2006 Top 30 Anime DVD sold in the US Source: Nielsen Video Scan. Edited by Wowmax Media! Note: the index indicates the percentage in comparison to the number 1 title.
(4) Hollywood Adaptations In 2007, the live action film Transformers produced by DreamWorks grossed over $700 million worldwide. The film is based on a line-up of toys released by Hasbro under the same name; however, the original toys were developed in the early 1980s by Takara Tomy, a Japanese toy company. When Hasbro licensed the rights to the toys, they also developed an animated show in order to promote the product, which became the basis for the film and the franchise we know today. The success of Transformers has drawn attention to anime as a source of original ideas for Hollywood films, similar to the boom in the re-make of Japanese Horror films which happened after The Ring in 2002. Currently, there are many films based on anime in developed by the major studios, and Hollywood producers are continuing to approach Japanese rights holders for adaptation and re-make rights.
